Selçuk Ünal, Turkish Ambassador to China, gives a speech at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in China on June 22, 2026. Photo: Dong Feng/GT

As part of the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and China, the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in China hosted the reception "Invest in Türkiye: 20 Years of Excellence" jointly with the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye in Beijing on June 22. The event was aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, and visionaries to celebrate shared achievements and explore new avenues for collaboration.

Selçuk Ünal, Turkish Ambassador to China, said in his opening remarks that "We are celebrating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and China. Our countries are representatives of two great civilizations with histories and cultural heritages dating back centuries. Trade along the ancient Silk Road established deep economic and cultural connections between Turkish and Chinese peoples. 

The ambassador stressed that Türkiye is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East and Africa. "When combined with its industrial strength and global connectivity capabilities, this unique position made Türkiye indispensable in global trade and supply chains." Ünal explained that is why the country is working to harmonize Türkiye's "Middle Corridor" project (officially the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route) with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

Over the past two decades, trade with China increased forty-fold and China has become Türkiye's largest trade partner. "We shall work together to achieve balanced development in bilateral trade and ensure the steady, long-term progress of our bilateral relations on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win results," Ünal said. 

On the same day, the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye hosted two roundtable sessions for business matchmaking respectively with the Silk Road Fund (SRF), a specialized medium-to-long-term investment fund supporting Belt and Road financing, and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME).

The first roundtable, co-hosted with the SRF, brought together more than 20 companies from the energy, information and communications technology (ICT), mobility, construction, and food sectors.

Cai Xuejun, president of the SRF, said in his remarks that Türkiye has robust demand for infrastructure and strong growth momentum in a broad range of sectors, including manufacturing, new energy, logistics, green transition and digital economy. These are China's strength, offering vast opportunities for bilateral investment.

Cai recalled that collaboration between the SRF and the Investment and Finance Office entered its new chapter in 2023. In July that year, the fund and the Office co-hosted the first investment cooperation roundtable.

In 2025, the Antalya-Alanya Motorway Project, a linear motorway project which is recommended by the investment and finance office, was successfully delivered. 

"It has become a key infrastructure investment of the fund and a key infrastructure initiative of the Turkish government to boost tourism and regional connectivity," said Cai. 

The SRF looks forward to further deepening exchanges with the Investment and Finance Office of the Republic of Türkiye in China to enhance the synergy, explore new opportunities and expand the scope of collaboration, and to further enhance the quality and efficiency of bilateral investment, Cai added. 

The second event, co-hosted with the CCCME, convened almost 20 companies from the machinery, electronics, and energy sectors.

Liu Chun, president of the CCCME, said in her remarks that the roundtable served as an effective bridge to further streamline cooperation channels, build consensus and lay the groundwork for more substantive investment collaboration in the future. 

Noting 2026 marks the 13th anniversary of the proposal of the BRI, Liu said that Türkiye, situated at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, is a vital hub on the ancient Silk Road and is a natural partner in the joint construction of the Belt and Road. 

CCCME will continue to enhance its efforts in policy information sharing, targeted project matchmaking, and legal support services, to foster a more open, accessible and predictable environment for business cooperation between China and Türkiye, she said. 

Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, president of the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of Türkiye, gives a speech on June 22, 2026. Photo: Dong Feng/GT

Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, president of the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of Türkiye, highlighted in his speech the practical cooperation achievements between Türkiye and China.  

He said bilateral financial ties are rapidly deepening, helping mitigate currency risks and facilitate smoothing transactions. 

In November 2025, ICBC Türkiye was fully operational as a designated RMB clearing bank, marking a new milestone in China-Türkiye financial cooperation and further promoting the use of local currencies in bilateral trade and investment.

In October 2025, the Istanbul branch of the Bank of China expanded its presence by opening a new branch in Ankara, injecting renewed momentum into the growth of China-Türkiye economic and trade relations. 

Talking about people-to-people exchanges, Dağlıoğlu said the number of Chinese visitors to Türkiye increased to 425,000 in 2025. 

Also, the green transition is promising and is a strategically important frontier for our future cooperation, he said, adding that the incentive program is designed to position Türkiye as a premier global economic powerhouse for capital talent industry and entrepreneurship.

Ahmet Burak Daglioglu (right), president of the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of Türkiye, and Cai Xuejun, president of the Silk Road Fund, shake hands after signing an MOU in Beijing, on June 22, 2026. Photo: Dong Feng/GT

During the session, the Investment and Finance Office inked a memorandum of understanding with the Silk Road Fund and CCCME, respectively.